Why Finding an Employee Should Be More Like Finding a Spouse
Both love and business foster crucial unions.
However, the process of searching for a significant other is one that we generally spend more time on than the process of hiring a new employee, despite much overlap in the qualities that make for a good contender in both.
Perhaps employers could benefit from broadening their recruitment techniques while remaining within the time and budget constraints of a typical company?
Can you imagine becoming exclusive with someone after merely a quick glance at their dating profile? While these insights are helpful, they’re only part of the picture.
Our current recruitment system, however, often sticks to a more limited view — relying primarily on CV’s (that can be padded) and brief reference calls. It’s not doing companies any flavors; as Forbes puts it there can be “skills not included in a traditional job listing that can add exponential value to a position or company.”
That being said, hiring managers can’t spend every weekend getting to know candidates, either.
As a happy medium, some employers have begun researching candidates’ social media profiles; this surface-level material, however, often fails to illuminate much at the heart of a candidate’s characteristics such as honesty, reliability, and flexibility — qualities daters and employees alike should focus on.
Checklists aren’t everything.
This is a big one.
Yes, you’ll take into account a potential partners job and status, but these tick boxes aren’t everything. Skills and degrees are often overrated in the jobs environment, too.
It’s not also about what someone already knows, but how good they are at learning new things.
As Thought Catalog puts it, one of the most underrated qualities in a romantic partner is the ability to ‘absorb, comprehend, practice and perfect.”
The same goes for a job candidate. Perhaps they already know Javascript, but are too stubborn or lack the motivation to learn further advancements.
If you’re hiring in the IT industry, you may want to focus on a candidate’s reviews on GitHub or Stack Overflow. Candidates usage and ratings on these platforms demonstrate their ability to practice and perfect, as well as a high level of commitment through a history of trial and error. Forbes states “so many employers look for hard skill sets, but I have found the one skill that can’t be taught is perseverance.”
There are countless other review-based platforms that can provide elucidating insight.
Upwork and Fiverr reviews could offer insight into the candidate’s reliability and honesty about the services they provide; same with Amazon and Ebay about products they sell.
It’s easy to see how a potential date’s level of empathy, reliability, honesty and commitment are important qualities; there’s no reason not to consider them for employees as well.
Endorsements Don’t Exist in a Vacuum
The higher number of testimonials, the better the data set for employers and a daters alike.
If your friend sets you up with a date, that’s great but you have to consider their motivation.
Is it their best friend? Do they owe the person a favour?
As you start to receive more votes of confidence, however, the less likely they can all be attributed to an ulterior motive. This is why we often we feel secure dating someone from within our networks — the endorsements compound.
The same is true of potential new hires. The standard two or three references from former employers could be vastly strengthened by three more similar outside reviews.
And the nature of these third party reviews is often more about character than skill — both are crucial. According to Business News Daily, “Many interviews focus on the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the job, it’s also important to think about job fit. How well will the person fit into the culture and how will this person work with the existing team?”.
Misguided Deal-Breakers
Interests like “curling” or “mahjong” on a dating profile can elicit negative reactions just because they’re unfamiliar. It’s easy to have an exact picture of what you want; is there a cost to rigid expectations?
David Mochel, a well-being coach and contributor to Huffington Post, says there is. Inflexible thinking can lead to “unnecessary stress and anxiety, conflict with others, and negative impacts on our mood” [4].
By contrast, untethering yourself from preconceived notions can feel incredibly freeing. Diversity is also a tremendously valuable learning experience. Sure, compatibility is important, but if you’re looking for someone exactly like you, you might as well date yourself.
Exposing yourself to different things can be a passport to knowledge and growth.
The Costs of a Bad Match
The cost of an ill-fated union in both love and business is extremely high.
Thumbtack estimates the average cost of a divorce is $15,000 per person, not to mention the huge toll on both ego and morale.
The cost of having to replace a poorly suited hire could be upwards of $20,000 according to CareerBuilder survey. Beyond the sheer expense, according to Lisa Frye turnover often has a “ripple effect among all who work for you, your product and your product quality”, in the form of disgruntled coworkers, stalled projects and weakened employer branding.
Due Diligence Today Holds Benefits for Tomorrow
Everyone has a deadline, whether it comes from a boss or it is self-imposed. That said, rushing things almost never produces ideal results, be it in love or business.
Thankfully, there’s a new service that offers the best of both worlds, giving employers a thorough perspective of candidates quickly (and affordably):
Reputationaire allows candidates to gather reviews they have received across verified third party platforms. Employers and recruiters can request to view this peer validated, curated ratings overview for invaluable insights in just one click.
So give your company the edge — create lasting partnerships straight out of a fairy-tale romance and contact the team today!
Written by Sasha Young